Frieda Luk’s “Sacred Creatures” Explores the Mechanics of Belief at Edinburgh

Frieda Luk’s debut feature “Sacred Creatures” premiered in competition at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. The Canada-Italy co-production follows three estranged siblings who reunite in rural Italy after the middle sister, Miriam (played by Olivia Luccardi), is released from psychiatric treatment following an experience she interprets as a spiritual awakening. The narrative weaves psychological drama, comedy, and magical realism without settling firmly into any single genre.

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Luk describes the film as an investigation of how personal belief can expand into a collective movement. She notes that a single individual’s conviction can attract a group, which then amplifies the idea into a viral phenomenon. The director frames Miriam’s journey as a study of agency: while Miriam knows herself and makes choices, the surrounding community begins to project meaning onto her, eventually turning her into an abstract symbol beyond her control. Luk also draws inspiration from 1970s European cinema, citing its willingness to blur genre boundaries, and references Marco Ferreri’s “La Grande Bouffe” for its blend of grotesque comedy and serious intent.

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Shot on location in Piedmont, the film leverages the Italian landscape to underscore its thematic questions about fandom, protest, and the creation of modern saints. Costume design plays a pivotal role; Miriam’s voluminous yellow-green dress is intended to be both “ridiculous” and “chic,” allowing the character to dominate the visual space much like Bette Davis’s iconic party entrance in “All About Eve.” Luccardi likens her direction to guiding a cat—balancing distance with invitation—to convey Miriam’s evolving self-possession, which she describes as becoming calmer and more fluid over the course of filming.

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Luk emphasizes that the film does not provide definitive answers about Miriam’s experience. Instead, it invites viewers to reflect on why people adopt beliefs and the pleasure derived from that process. Both Luk and Luccardi acknowledge the ambiguity inherent in distinguishing madness from enlightenment, leaving the audience to contemplate the fine line between the two.

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